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fMM/u-r^QiTY  OF  CflLIFORNm 


C.  P.  HUNTINGTON 

dUNE.-  18Q7, 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


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LI  BR 

On  the  Californian  Species  of  Fiisus. 

BY  W.    H.    DALL,   SMITHSONIAN    INSTITUTION. 
From  tho  Proceedings  of  the  California  Academy  of  Sciences,  March  19th,  1877. 

Without  entoriug  into  tlio  questiou  of  their  exact  generic  relations,  a  short 
review  of  the  Californian  mollusks,  nsually  referred  to  the  genus  Fusus  (sen- 
so  lato),  may  prove  not  without  interest. 

With  the  exception  of  one  species,  the  synonymy  and  nomenclature  of  these 
forms  are  in  a  very  confused  condition,  as  will  shortly  appear.  After  the 
description  of  F.  dims,  by  Keeve,  in  1846,  two  miocene  fossils  were  the  first 
described  species  from  this  coast,  and  from  a  mistaken  desire  to  confine  the 
number  of  sf)ecies  within  the  narrowest  limits,  these  names,  or  one  of  them, 
have  been  repeatedly  injected  into  the  nomenclature  of  the  recent  forms. 
Disposing  of  these  two  fossils,  the  remainder  will  he-  referred  lo  in  chrono. 
logical  order. 

FiTSUS  GENicuLUS,  Conrad.     1849. 

Geol.  U.  S.  Expl.    Exp.,  X,    p.  728,  pi.  20,  f.  3.     Miocene;  Sand- 
stones of  Astoria,  Oregon. 

This  consists  of  a  fossil  truncated  at  both  ends,  with  the  aperture  and  half 
the  shell  imbedded  in  the  matrix,  and  the  remainder  very  poorly  preserved, 
or  at  least  wretchedly  figured.  The  types  belonging  to  the  National  Museum 
h;ive  been  lost  for  twenty  years.  The  species  is  wholly  unrecognizable,  and 
should  bo  expunged  from  nomenclature.  For  this  rubbish  Mr.  Conrad  has 
proposed  a  genus  Priscofusiis,  but  with  neither  figure  nor  diagnosis.  (Am. 
Journ.  Conch.,  1865,  p.  150.) 

(?)  Fusus  CORPULENTUS,  Courad.     1849. 

Geol.  1.  c.  p.  728,  PI.  20,  f.  4.      Same  locahty. 

This  consists  of  the  internal  cast  of  a  species  of  mollusb,  which  may  be  a 
Pleurotoma,  or  almost  anything  else  of  a  fusiform  shape.  Otherwise,  the  re- 
marks under  the  preceding  species  are  applicable  in  this  case. 

Fusus  (Chetsodomus)  dirus,    Reeve.  1846. 

Bucdnum  dirum,  Eeeve.   Conch.  Icon.,  f.  92;  Dec,  1846. 

Fusus  incisus,  Gould.    Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  p.   124,  May, 

1849.     Expl.  Exp.,   Moll.,  p.  245,  pi.       ,  f.     .     Otia  Conch., 

p.  64,   1862. 
TrUonium   {Fusus)   Sitchense,  Middendorf.      Bull.  Acad.    Imp.    Sci., 

St.  Petersburg,  VII,  No.  160,  1849,  p.  244.     Beitr.  Mai.  Ross, 

II,  1849,  p.  149,  t.  II,  f.  5-8. 
Chnjsodomus  dirus,  Carpenter.      Rep.  Br.  Assoc,    II,   1863,  p.  664, 

(and  of  Californian  authors). 

Habitat,  Shumagiu  Islands,  Alaska,  to  Monterey,  Cal.  One  dead  speci- 
men found  at  San  Miguel  Island,  Cal.     This  well  known  species  is  familiar 


2  PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE    CALIFORNIA 

to  all  West  Coast  conchologists,  and  appears  to  flourish  most  abundantly  from 
Sitka  to  Oregon.  It  is  sufficiently  distinct  from  any  other  Califoruian  species 
to  require  no  special  care  in  making  comparisons.  The  Puget  Sound  speci- 
mens have  a  tendency  to  a  greenish-gray  hue,  with  bright  orange  mouth,  less 
conspicuous  grooving  and  more  solid  shell  than  others.  Those  from  further 
north  are  usually  of  a  dark  lurid  brown,  within  and  without;  the  revolving 
threads  more  even,  and  the  grooves  wider.  This  species  seems  particularly 
liable  to  individual  abnormalities  or  deformities,  and  has  the  external  asjieet, 
as  remarked  by  Gould,  of  a  Eitthria. 

Fusus  (?CoLus)  AMBTTSTUs,  Goiild.     1852. 

FitsHs  ambustus,  Gould.     Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.   Hist.,  VI,   p.    385; 

Oct.,  1853.     (extras,  April,  1852);  pi.  XIV,  f.  18. 
Fnsus  fMmens,  Carpenter.     Maz.  Shells,  p.  503,  No.  640;  Mar.,  1857> 

(Brit.  Mus.,  tablet  2,413),  Mazatlan. 
Not  F.  ambustus  of  Californian  writers  or  Carpenter. 

Habitat,  Mazatlan,  Mexico,  Lieut.  Green;  Guaymas,  Dr.  E.  Palmer. 

The  name  of  Fusus  ambustus  has  been  very  widely  quoted  for  one  or  two 
Californian  species  hereafter  to  be  mentioned,  but  there  is  no  reason  for  be- 
lieving that  it  exists  in  California  at  all.  Dr.  Gould's  figure  excellently  rep- 
resents the  fresh  condition  of  living  specimens,  though  fresh  specimens  are 
often  lighter.  The  two  nuclear  whorls  are  thin,  dark  brown,  and  polished, 
having  the  texture  glassy  rather  than  porcellanous. 

The  fact  that  Dr.  Gould's  figure  is  totally  unlike  any  of  the  Californian 
species  renders  it  a  matter  of  surprise  that  it  should  have  been  sought  to  apply 
it  to  any  of  them;  however,  this  has  been  persistently  and  erroneously  done. 

From  a  photograph  of  an  original  drawing  made  by  the  aiithor  from  his 
type  in  the  British  Museum,  it  becomes  possible  to  identify  his  minute  and 
very  young  shell  with  that  of  Dr.  Gould.  It  would  have  been  as  well,  on 
some  accounts,  to  have  avoided  applying  names  to  such  material,  which, 
unless  the  specimens  can  be  consulted,  is  only  too  apt  to  form  a  stumbling 
block  in  the  way  of  identification  of  mature  and  perfect  specimens.  The 
other  species  (?)  F.  apertus,  described  at  the  same  time  from  an  even  less 
perfect  specimen,  is  hardly  likely  to  be  identified. 

This  species  is,  of  course,  only  included  here  to  assist  in'clearing  up  the 
synonymy. 

Fusus  (?  Chrysodomus)  Hakfoedi,  Stearns.     1871. 

Prel.  Descr.,  Aug.  1871.     Proc.  Cal.  Acad.  Sciences,  V,  p.  79,  1873 

Habitat,  Mendocino  Co.,  Cal.,  Harford;  Faralloues,  Watkins. 

This  is  an  excellent  species,  but  very  rare.  The  reception  from  Dr.  Car- 
penter of  a  specimen  obtained  by  him  from  Mr.  Stearns,  has  enabled  me  to 
identify  a  young  specimen  in  my  own  collection  received  from  Mr.  Watkins, 
and  collected  by  him  on  the  Faralloues.  This  is  the  more  fortunate,  as  the 
original  type  has  not  been  accessible  for  some  years.  As  the  original  diag- 
nosis is  brief,  a  few  additional  remarks  may  be  useful. 


ACADEMY  OF    SCIENCES.  O 

Fumscinnamomcus,  Eve.  (Conch.  Ic,  16)  presents  some  resemblance  to  this 
species,  which  difiers  from  the  former  in  having  a  shorter  caiml,  a  longer 
spire,  more  rounded  whorls  and  much  deeper  sutures,  more  numerous  revolv- 
ing ridges,  which  are  also  narrower,  and  especially  in  the  presence  of  strongly 
marked,  beautifully  rounded  costte,  which  become  obsolete  next  the  suture 
and  on  the  last  whorl.  These  costte  recall  those  on  the  upper  whorls  in  de- 
corticated Prime  orec/onensis,  but  are  not  cancellated.  They  reach  across  the 
whorls  in  the  young  shell,  fading  out  anteriorly  as  it  approaches  the  adult 
condition.  In  young  shells  the  epidermis  is  usually  polished  and  of  a  bright 
ruddy  brown;  in  an  adult  it  is  raised  between  the  revolving  ridges  into  suc- 
cessive lamellje,  which  indicate  that  a  fresh  and  perfect  specimen  must  pre- 
sent a  pubescent  appearance,  verging  on  shagginess.  The  interspaces  in  the 
posterior  whorls  are  about  as  wide  as  the  revolving  ridges,  but  on  the  last 
whorl  smaller  intercalary  ridges  appear,  especially  on  the  anterior  half  of  the 
whorl.  There  is  a  tendency  to  a  smoothish  space  on  each  side  of  the  suture, 
which  gives  it  a  channelled  appearance.  Excluding  the  nuclear  portion, 
there  are  about  five  ridges  on  the  first  five  whorls.  On  the  fifth  there  are 
about  ten  costte.  On  the  last  whorl  of  the  adult,  the  eostaj  being  evanescent, 
there  are  about  seventeen  main  ridges  and  ten  or  eleven  intercalary  threads. 
The  spire  is  a  little  longer  than  the  length  of  the  aperture  plus  the  canal. 
In  the  interior  of  the  aperture  (which  is  white),  beside  the  gi-ooves  due  to 
the  external  ridges,  there  are  numerous  very  fine  incised  striae,  not  quite 
reaching  the  margin,  and  a  rather  strong  groove  at  the  junction  of  this  whorl 
with  the  last.  There  is  no  siphoual  fasciole.  Length,  2%  inches.  I  have 
little  doubt  that  this  is  the  shell  called  by  Middendorf  Tntonium  Sablni,  from 
Kenai;  at  least,  there  is  no  other  shell  of  the  coast  resembling  Gray's  Fusus 
Sahini,  which  is  the  same  as  Fusus  bcrniciensis,  King. 

Fustjs  LUTEOPicTtrs,  Dall.     n.  s. 

Fusus  ambuslus,  Cpr.     Suppl.   Kep.  Brit.  Assoc,  18G3,  p.  66-1  (pars), 

not  of  Gould. 
Fusus  geniculus,  Gabb.     Pal.  Cal.,  II,  p.  71,   (pars.  syn.  excl.) 
Fusus  ambustus,    Cooper,  Cat.    Monterey   Shells,  Am.  Journ.  Conch., 

VI,  p.  70.     Geogr.  Cat.  No.  787,  (most  Cala.  writers). 

Habitat,  Earallone  Islands,  rare,  Watkins;  to  San  Diego,  Cala. 

Shell  small,  fusiform,  rather  thin,  provided  with  numerous  revolving 
ridges  and  transverse  costpe.  Aperture  plus  canal  less  in  length  than  the 
spire.  Whorls  rounded,  somewhat  excavated  near  the  sutures.  General  col- 
oration dark  brown,  occasionally  interrupted  on  the  ridges.  Costie,  with  that 
portion  of  the  ridges  which  pass  over  them,  bright  yellow,  in  dead  specimens 
fading  to  whitish.  On  the  last  whorl,  when  the  costie  become  obsolete,  the 
lighter  coloration  is  often  continued  as  a  light  band  marked  within  the  aper- 
ture, as  well  as  externally,  while  the  anterior  half  of  the  whorl  continues 
dark,  the  darker  coloration  appearing  on  the  inner  edge  of  the  lip  as  a  brown 
spot  or  spots.  Spire,  when  perfect,  containing  six  or  seven  whorls,  the  nu- 
clear portion  light  colored,  with  delicate  cancellation.  Canal  short,  two- 
thirds  as  long  as  the  aperture  at  most.    Aperture  rounded-ovate,  within  white, 


4  PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE    CALIFORNIA 

■when  adult  provided  with  about  twelve  threads,  stronglj-  marked  and  dis- 
posed in  pairs.  These  stop  just  within  the  margin  of  the  outer  lip,  which 
is  creuulated.  On  the  fourth  whorl  there  are  about  ten  costte,  which  pass 
the  periphery,  but  are  obsolete  just  beyond  it.  The  canal  is  often  of  a 
lighter  brown  than  the  rest.  The  ridges  are  slightly  thickened  on  the  costae, 
and  on  the  last  whorl  are  about  twelve  in  number,  with  a  few  intercalary 
threads.  An  adult  measures  0.82  iu.  long;  0.35  in.  greatest  width;  canal  0.14 
in.;  canal  and  aperture  0.37  in.;  remainder  of  spire  0.45  in. 

This  rather  common  little  shell  is  rare  in  a  perfect  condition,  but  may  be 
obtained  in  a  worn  and  rolled  condition  on  the  beaches  without  much  trouble, 
especially  at  Monterey.  It  is  familiar  to  all  West  Coast  conchologists.  The 
only  characters  common  to  it  and  F.  geniculus,  so  far  as  the  latter  exhibits 
any,  are  those  of  sculpture,  which  are  also  common  to  nearly  all  the  species 
of  the  CoJus  group  and  those  related  to  them.  It  has  been  often  considered  as 
a  variety,  or  the  young  of  the  next  species,  from  comparison  of  rolled  speci- 
mens. "When  perfect,  no  such  confusion  is  likely.  As  both  have  been  con- 
founded together,  and  with  anibustus  as  well  as  the  apocryphal  geniculus,  it  is 
difficult  to  assert  the  synonymy.  To  some  part  of  this  omnium  gatherum  Dr. 
Carpenter  has  compared  the  Fusus  davatus,  Brocchi,  a  Calabrian  miocene  fos- 
sil, an  inch  wide  and  three  inches  long.  From  the  descriptions  of  Deshayes 
and  Philippi  no  necessity  for  such  allocation  appears.  It  is  in  the  highest 
degree  improbable  that  F.  davatus  is  closely  related  to  any  Californian  species, 
other  than  generically. 

FusDS  KoBKLTi,  Dall.     n.  s. 

Fusus  ambustus+genicalus  (pars)  of  Californian  authors. 

Habitat,  Monterey  to  San  Diego. 

Shell  elegantly  and  regularly  fusiform,  of  seven  or  eight  whorls,  sculptured 
with  revolving  hnes  and  transverse  costfB.  In  young  specimens  the  whorls 
are  somewhat  rounded,  in  the  adult  elongated.  Epidermis  in  perfect  speci- 
mens dark  ashy  or  greenish  olivaceous,  rising  in  crowded  lamellaj  and  ob- 
scuring the  coloration.  This  varies,  however,  with  age  and  habitat.  Apex 
acute,  the  second  and  third  whorls  hardly  larger  than  the  embryo.  Color 
whitish,  the  alternate  revolving  ridges  of  a  dark  brown,  which  occasionally 
extends  to  all  the  ridges.  These  ridges  do  not  lose  their  color  in  passing  over 
the  costfe,  except  M'here  worn  off  by  rolling  on  the  beach.  Except  on  the 
earlier  whorls  the  ridges  do  not  show  any  tendency  to  enlarge  in  passing  over 
the  costc^.  On  the  posterior  edge  of  the  whorls  the  shell  is  appressed  on  the 
suture,  and  the  ridges  here  are  inconspicuous,  in  most  specimens,  compared 
with  those  on  the  body  of  the  whorl.  These  ridges,  moreover,  bear  the  char- 
acter of  threads,  the  interspaces  not  being  channelled  as  iu  F.  Harfordi  and 
luteopidus.  In  the  most  perfect  specimen,  on  the  last  whorl  there  are  twenty- 
two  brown  ridges  and  as  many  more  intercalary,  of  the  same  color  as  the 
shell.  In  melanitic  specimens  all  may  be  tinged  brown.  On  the  antepenult- 
imate whorl  between  the  sutures  there  are  about  six  main  ridges  and  eight 
intercalary.  The  costae  are  rounded  and  prominent  only  on  the  earlier 
whorls,  but  they  remain  on  the  last  whorl  in  a  flattened  condition,  but  ex- 


ACADEMY    OF  SCIENCES.  0 

teud  well  over  the  periphery,  and  are  not  obsolescent  as  in  the  last  species. 
The  interior  of  the  aperture  is  white;  before  the  lips  are  thickened  the  brown 
lines  show  through,  and  the  prominent  white  threads  of  the  throat  arc  dis- 
tant from  the  outer  edge.  In  this  stage  there  is  no  siphonal  fasciole.  Later, 
both  lips  may  be  strongly  thickened;  the  threads  (ten  or  fifteen  in  number) 
nearly  reach  the  edge,  a  labial  callus  and  fasciole  are  formed.  In  ^adults 
there  are  about  twelve  costixs  on  the  last  and  ten  on  the  sixth  whorl. 

This  species  may  reach  two  inches  in  length.  A  specimen  perfect,  but 
with  the  lip  still  unlhickened,  measures  1.85  in.  long;  spire,  0.86  in.;  aper- 
ture, 0.6  in.  (to  posterior  notch);  canal,  0.5  in.  The  total  is  more  than  the 
total  length,  not  being  measured  on  a  median  line. 

This  beautiful  species  appears  to  be  very  i-are  in  a  perfect  condition, 
though  rolled  specimens  are  common  on  Oatalina  Island  (northern)  beaches 
and  at  San  Pedro.  The  features  of  a  young  living  specimen  from  Monterey 
are  obscured  by  the  shaggy  epidermis,  of  which  beach  specimens  show  no 
trace  whatever.  In  much  thickened  specimens  there  is  a  lump  on  the  whorl 
at  the  posterior  angle  of  the  aperture.  It  is  perfectly  distinct  from  the  other 
Californian  species,  and  from  any  I  find  figured  in  the  monographs.  In  a 
general  way  it  is  perhai^s  a  little  like /^.  j<s<u?a<«s,  Keeve,  (Couch.  Icon.,  PI. 
XVII,  f.  66.)  It  is  named  in  honor  of  Dr.  W.  Kobelt,  of  Frankfurt  on  the 
Main,  who  is  engaged  upon  a  monograph  of  the  genus. 

There  are  several  other  s^jecies  which  approach  California  but  not  known 
to  be  found  within  its  borders,  such  as  F.  (Colus)  Dupetithouarsi  of  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia, and  Chrysodomus  rectirostris,  Cpr.,  and  liratus,  Martyn  from  the  Puget 
Sound  district.  G.  rectirostris  singularly  ''nough  almost  always  has  the  long 
and  very  slender  canal  crooked,  by  reason  of  repaired  fractures.  The  adult  is 
covered  with  a  peculiar  olive  green  epidermis,  somewhat  like  that  of  ;.  fresh 
water  shell;  the  young  are  clear  translucent  whitish;  elegantly  sculptured  and 
bear  little  resemblance  to  the  adult.  The  former  have  narrowly  escaped  de- 
scription as  new,  by  a  prominent  naturalist.  All  the  fossil  Tertiary  species 
which  can  be  identified  ha^e  been  referred  to,  in  order  that  this  paper  might 
not  uselessly  add  to  synonymy.  None,  however,  appear  to  bo  related  to  the 
species  here  described. 


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